Body exercising device



March 29, '1960 J. c. MOINTOSH BODY EXERCISING DEVICE Filed Aug. 6, 1954JUDSON C. MclNTOSH IN VEN TOR. MQ

HIS ATTORNEY BODY EXERCISIN G DEVICE Judson C. McIntosh, San Gabriel,Calif. Application August 6, 1954, Serial No. 448,214 2 Claims. (Cl.27282) This invention relates to a body exercising device andparticularly to such a device which consists of elongated resilientmeans having a pair of hand grips disposed at its opposite ends. Thegrips are adapted to be held by the hands or feet, the resilient meansbeing stretched against the pressure of its resilience to develop themuscles of practically any part of the human body. The device is capableof a large variety of uses and positions which are well known to personsin the body exercising field.

It is an object of my invention to provide such a device in which theresilient means comprises one or more resilient members which may beadded or subtracted to increase or reduce tension of the device and itsresistance to stretching movement.

It is particularly an object of my invention to provide such aconstruction in which the resilient members are quickly and easilyattached to or detached from the hand gnps.

My invention contemplates such a device in which the resilient memberscomprise a plurality of elongated rubber tubes, which are attached tothe hand grips by a novel means comprising a wooden ball having anopening therein. The end of the tube is inserted into an opening in thehand grip and the wooden ball is then inserted into the end of the tubeby means of a tool utilizing the opening in the ball. The tube stretchesand fits around the ball, holding it in position and preventing removalof the tube from the hand grips when the tube is stretched.

It is among the objects of my invention to provide a device of the classdescribed which is simple to operate and simple and economical tomanufacture.

My invention also comprises such other objects, advantages andcapabilities as will later more fully appear and which are inherentlypossessed by my invention.

While I have shown in the accompanying drawings a preferred embodimentof my invention, it should be understood that the same is susceptible ofmodification and change without departing from the spirit of myinvention.

Referring to the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of my body exercising device, withthe tubes broken to contact the view;

Fig. 2 is an end elevational view of one end of my device;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged end elevational view partly in section showing theattachment of a tube to the hand p;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view showing the use of my tool to remove a ballfrom the end of a tube.

A preferred embodiment which has been selected to illustrate myinvention comprises a plurality of elongated tubes 10 which arepreferably formed of pure gum rubber compound. The tubes which are usedin the mens size of my body exercising device have an outside diameterof 5's" while those in the ladies size have an out-' side diameter of t.The length used is approximately two feet, providing a resistance of 32lbs. per tube in the mens size and 17 lbs. per tube in the ladies size.

Specific dimensions of many portions of my device are given in thisapplication because they are believed to be useful in reducing theinvention to practice in a satisfactory form. The dimensions are,however, not to be taken as critical or as limiting the applicant'sinvention. Disposed at opposite ends of tubes 10 are a pair of handgrips, each of which comprises a U-shaped frame 11, which is preferablyformed from a single piece of hand rolled steel approximately 12"overalllength before bending and 35 thick. Frame 11 is 1% wide in the mens sizeand 1" wide in the ladies size. Frame 11 is provided with five spacedopenings 12, which are disposed in a row along the bottom 13 of frame11. Openlugs 12 are slightly larger in size than the outside diameter oftubes 10.

A movable roller type wooden handle 14 is rotatably mounted across theopen end of each of frames 11. Handle 14 is preferably formed ofmahogany and is curved to provide a better gripping contour for thehand.

The ends of tubes 10 are attached to frames 11 by a novel meanscomprising a wooden ball 15, which is removably inserted in the ends ofeach of tubes 10 after the ends have been passed through openings 13 andframe 11. The balls 15 are larger in size than openings 13. Each of theballs 15 has an opening 16 which preferably extends diametricallytherethrough.

A special tool 17 having handle 18 and a blade 19 is used to insert ball15 into the end of tube 10 and to remove it therefrom. Tool 17 ispreferably approximately 6" long and formed of mild cold rolled steel.Handle 13 is preferably round, having a diameter of 74 while the /8"long round blade 19 has a diameter of ,4

For insertion, the end of blade 19 is inserted into opening 16 in ball15. The end of tube 10 is held in the left hand, while the ball isforced into its open end by a rolling motion. For removal, the end ofblade 19 is again inserted into opening 16 in ball 15. The end of tube10 is held in the left hand, with the left thumb peeling the end of tube10 back slightly while the tool 17 is operated by the right hand to pryball 15 out of the end of tube 10.

In use, after the balls 15 have been inserted in the ends of tubes 10,the tubes are pulled back until the balls 15 are disposed adjacent thebottom 13 of frame 11 on the opposite side from the body portion oftubes 10. The balls 15 are normally held in position by the resilienceof tubes 10. When the hand grips are moved apart, tubes 10 stretch, butballs 15 prevent the ends of tubes 10 from passing through openings 12.As the rubber of tubes 10 stretches, it actually tightens its griparound balls 15 to further prevent their accidental displacement.

In the use of my body exercising device, tubes 10 may thus be easily andquickly added or removed from the hand grips in accordance with thetension desired for various exercises and there is no danger orpossibility of their accidental displacement from the hand grips. Tubes10 may be also be formed of synthetic rubber or other suitable resilientmaterial.

I claim:

1. In a body exercising device comprising a plurality of elongatedrubber tubes disposed substantially parallel to each other, a pair ofhand grips disposed adjacent the opposite ends of said tubes, each ofsaid hand grips comprising a substantially U-shaped frame, the bottom ofsaid frame extending transversely to said tubes, and a handle mountedacross the open end of each of said frames and extending substantiallyparallel to the bottom of said frames, means for attaching the ends ofsaid tubes to Patented Mar. 29, 19605 said .framcs. comprising-1a.filurality of spaced openings in the bottom of each of said frames, saidopenings substantially corresponding in size to the outer diameter ofsaid tubes, the ends of said tubes removably extending.

tubes ,from. said frames, each of said balls having an opening extendingdiametrically therethrough, said opening. being adapted to receive theblade of an elongated operating tool to facilitate the insertion andremoval of saidtball into and from the ends of said tubes.

2. In a" body exercising device having a plurality of elongatedresilient tubes, a member having a plurality of openings therein adaptedto removably receive the ends of such tubes, said opening beingsubstantially equal in diameter to said tubes, and a ball removablydisposed within each of the ends of said tubes, said balls beingdisposed on the opposite side of said member from the body portion ofsaid tubes, said balls being of substantially larger diameter than theinner diameter of said tubes, said balls expanding the ends of saidtubes beyond the size of said openings, said balls being held within theends of said tubes by the resilience of said tubes to removably attachthe ends of said tubes to said member, each of said balls having. anopening extending diametrically therethrough, said opening being adaptedto receive the blade of an. elongated operating tool to facilitate theinsertion and removal of said balls into and from the ends of saidtubes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS399,699 Sachs Mar. 19, 1889 760,374 Belvoir May 17, 1904 1,638,003Neumann Aug. 2, 1927 20 7 2,735,417 Denek'ar "Feb. 21, 1,956

FOREIGN PATENTS 84,015 Sweden July 30, 1935

